First off, feel free to tell me I'm an idiot if this topic has already been discussed, but I couldn't find anything.
Here's my situation: I need to run some speaker wire through some walls and my attic for a total distance of about 30'. Since I will be running near AC power lines and such, I'm concerned about the interference and noise the speakers wires may pick up. Is this even a valid concern? I've been looking at using twisted pair wiring to help reduce the noise, which leads to my question. Which is better, using a larger (14-16 AWG) single-pair twisted wire, or using something with several smaller twisted pairs, something like CAT5 cable with 4-pairs of 24 AWG, using one lead from each pair for each terminal?
Here's my situation: I need to run some speaker wire through some walls and my attic for a total distance of about 30'. Since I will be running near AC power lines and such, I'm concerned about the interference and noise the speakers wires may pick up. Is this even a valid concern? I've been looking at using twisted pair wiring to help reduce the noise, which leads to my question. Which is better, using a larger (14-16 AWG) single-pair twisted wire, or using something with several smaller twisted pairs, something like CAT5 cable with 4-pairs of 24 AWG, using one lead from each pair for each terminal?
Solid-core Category 5 cable is very easy to come by, and will serve your purposes well.
If you're running it at amplified level, I'd reccommend using it as-is, multiple runs if necessary (if your power handling is so high that you need more than one run of Cat5 will do for you).
They are already twisted together. Use a bridged amp and you will get the benefits of twisted pair/common mode noise rejection.
Don't do that silly little braided-Cat5 thing; it's silly, wastes time, and destroys the benefits of the twisted pairing. (I know I'm inviting flames by saying so!) Of course, using an un-bridged amp will do the same thing.... the CMNR suddenly doesn't work.
Properly balanced and twisted pairs at line-level can be run next to AC for feet at a time without picking up any hum. At amp level, it's probably a much larger distance that it can be run before picking up perceptible hum.
Good luck!
If you're running it at amplified level, I'd reccommend using it as-is, multiple runs if necessary (if your power handling is so high that you need more than one run of Cat5 will do for you).
They are already twisted together. Use a bridged amp and you will get the benefits of twisted pair/common mode noise rejection.
Don't do that silly little braided-Cat5 thing; it's silly, wastes time, and destroys the benefits of the twisted pairing. (I know I'm inviting flames by saying so!) Of course, using an un-bridged amp will do the same thing.... the CMNR suddenly doesn't work.
Properly balanced and twisted pairs at line-level can be run next to AC for feet at a time without picking up any hum. At amp level, it's probably a much larger distance that it can be run before picking up perceptible hum.
Good luck!
Thanks for the reply. That leads to a couple more questions.
Would using more twisted pairs (25-pair telecom cable) be better/worth it? And if I wanted to install wallplates for the connections, since it's CAT5, would RJ45 plugs be better than other options (RCA, binding, banana, etc)?
Would using more twisted pairs (25-pair telecom cable) be better/worth it? And if I wanted to install wallplates for the connections, since it's CAT5, would RJ45 plugs be better than other options (RCA, binding, banana, etc)?
25 pair phone cable works great, I've used it for years. It would be my choice for longer runs for sure.
If you need to put connector plates in I would use the best bananas I could find. Others may know of something better but consider how you will install the connectors. I would never use the RJ45 because it's not designed for the power.
Later BZ
If you need to put connector plates in I would use the best bananas I could find. Others may know of something better but consider how you will install the connectors. I would never use the RJ45 because it's not designed for the power.
Later BZ
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